Off-shore working assembly



Oct. 27, 1959 s. E. SUDEROW OFF-SHORE WORKING ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Jan. 6, 1954 NVENTCR rllllllllllL GEbRGE E. SUDEROW ATTORNEY) Oct.27, 1959 G. E. SUDEROW OFF-SHORE WORKING ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 6, 1954 IN V EN TOR. GEORGE E SUDEROW AT RNEYS Oct. 27, 1959 G. E.SUDEROW OFF-SHORE WORKING ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 6, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 wW C...

IN V EN TOR. GEORGE E. SUDEROW Oct. 27, 1959 G. E. SUDEROW OFFSHOREWORKING ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 6, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

GEORGE E. SUDEROW ATTORNEYS United States Patent OFF-SHORE WORKINGASSEMBLY George E. Suderow, New York, N.Y., assignor to De L'ongCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Application January '6, 1954,Serial No. 402,523

8 Claims. (Cl. 61-465) This invention relates to portable marineplatforms of the type shown in the copending application of Pointer,Serial No. 283,567, now US. Patent No. 2,775,869. More particularly,this invention pertains to improvements in such platform.

In the aforementioned Pointer application, there is disclosed a buoyantbody, conveniently in the form of a barge, having a plurality of uprightsupporting legs that are mounted on the body for substantially verticalmovement relative thereto in a plurality of guiding wells extendingvertically through the body. Such relative movement is selectivelyeffected or restrained by jacking mechanisms that are mounted on thebody and releasably engageablewith each supporting leg. As a result ofthis construction, the entire assembly may be towed to an erection site,the supporting legs moved down into engagement with the marine bottom,and the body lifted out of the water on the supporting legs and thensupported on the latter to form a fixed, stable, above-water marineplatform suitable for use as a pier, dock, well drilling platform, etc.After operations at the site, such as well drilling, have beencompleted, the body may be lowered back down into the water by means ofthe jacking mechanisms, the supporting legs raised off the marinebottom, and the entire assembly floated to another erection site.

While the aforedescribed portable marine platform embodying thisinvention and illustrating the platform has'pro'ven to be extremelysatisfactory for its intended purpose, certain disadvantages havearisen. For example, whenever a long tow occurs," the supportinglegsjusually are removed from their guiding wells and lashed to thedeck. were this not done, the extreme length of the supporting legs,which in actual practice usually are in the form of tubular steelcaissons of the order of 6 feet in diameter and 100 feet or more inlength, renders the entire structure somewhat top-heavy, because thelegs usually are elevated until their lower ends are substantially flushwith the bottom of the barge to reduce towage resistance. When thesupporting legs are lashed to the deck, however, a large heavy dutycrane must be used at the erection site to lift each supporting leg andinsert it into its guiding well in the barge. Obviously, large cranesare extremely expensive machines and either must be transported on thebarge to the site of erection or be available there. Furthermore, themanipulation of a supporting leg by a crane is a difficult procedure ina heavy sea.

Consequently, it is an object of this invention to provide a portablemarine platform of the type under consideration wherein the assembly isprovided with a selfcontained means whereby the supporting legs may betransported on the body in a lowered fixed horizontal position to reduceboth the center of gravity of the structure and its towing resistance,and at an erection site readily moved into an upright operative positionfor vertical movement by the jacks without the necessity of a largecrane.

,It is another object of this invention to provide a seain its erectedcondition;

Figure 2 is a side view of the platform shown in Figure 1 with parts insection to illustrate details;

Figure 3 is an end view of the platform shown in Figure 1 butillustrating the platform in its towing condition;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, corresponding to Figure 3, butillustrating a step in the erection of the platform;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Figure 4 butillustrating a further step in the erection of the platform;

Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 but illustrating a finalstep in the erection of the platform;

Figures 7 through 10 are enlarged, fragmentary views, corresponding tothe relative positions shown in Fig ures 3 to 6, respectively, andillustrating a hinge connection;

Figure 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyon the line 11-11 of Figure 1;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the erected platformshown in Figure 2, which parts broken away to illustrate details;

Figure 13 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of a portion of Figure1, but showing parts slightly separated for illustrative purposes;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken sub stantially on theline 1414 of Figure 13;

Figure 15 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partly insection, of one of the parts shown in Figures 13 and 14; and p Figure 16is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on theline 16-16 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figures 1 through 3, abuoyant body 15 which may be in the form of a barge that is generallyrectangular in plan view, although the body may be of any desired sizeand configuration as the particular operating conditions require. Wingsections 16, coextensive in length with the barge 15, are connected tothe opposite longitudinal sides of the barge for swingable movementabout a horizontal axis between the raised or stowed position shown inFigure 3 and the lowered or operative position shown in Figures 1, 2, 6,11, and 12. In this latter position, it will be seen that the wingsections 16 essentially constitute lateral extensions of the barge 15.

Each wing section 16 is connected to its side of the barge 15 by aplurality of longitudinally-spaced floating pivotal connections, each ofwhich includes a hinge lug 17 secured to the side of the barge 15 andextending outwardly therefrom, and a hinge lug 18 on the opposed side ofthe wing section 16. A pivot pin 21 extends through a circular opening20 in each lug l7 and through an elongated slot 19 in the correspondinghinge lug 18. It will be noted that when a wing section 16 is in itsraised or stowed position, the slot 19 extends horizontally, as bestshown in Figure 7, while when a wing section is moved to its lowered oroperative position, the slot 19 extends vertically, as best shown inFigure 10. Movement of each wing section 16 between its raised and lowuered positions is effected by a plurality of doubleacting fluid pressurerams 22, each having one end thereof pivotally connected, as at 23, tothe back wall of a recess 24 in the side of the barge 15, and the otherend thereof pivotally connected, as at 25, to the opposed side wall ofthe wing section.

Each of the wing sections 16 is provided with a longitudinal series ofopenings extending vertically therethrough. These openings are arrangedin opposite pairs on the two wing sections 16. One of the openings ofeach pair constitutes a guide opening or well 26 for a barge supportingleg '27, here shown as a caisson or tubular member, while the otheropening 28 of each pair constitutes a pocket for receiving an end of acaisson 27 carried by the opposite guide well 26, as will be explainedfurther hereinafter. As is best shown in Figure 11, each caisson well 26is enlarged between the top and bottom of its Wing section to provide anannular chamber 29. Disposed in the chamber 29 is a suitable jackingmechanism 39 that is releasably engageable with the correspondingcaisson 27 to selectively effect or restrain relative longitudinalmovement in either direction between the caisson and its wing section16. The jacking mechanism 30 may be of the type disclosed in theaforementioned copending Pointer application, and have a lower set ofinflatable gripping elements 54, an upper set of inflatable grippingelements 52, and an inflatable bellows 55 interposed between the upperand lower gripping elements. For illustrative purposes only, the bellows55 is shown in Figure ll as deflated on the left side of the caisson 27and as inflated on the right side.

Each guide opening 26 also is additionally enlarged between the top andthe bottom of its wing section 16 to provide an annular chamber 63,spaced from the chamber 29 and housing a self-energizing gripping deviceto engage the corresponding caisson 27 and support a load thereon. Thedevice includes a segmental gripping ring 61, having inclined outerwedging surfaces on each segment engageable by the complementary innersurface of a rigid pressure ring 61) that is movable longitudinally oraxially of the well '26. As described more in detail in the copendingapplication of Suderow, Serial No. 382,948, downward movement of thepressure ring 61 as shown on the right of the caisson 27 in Figure 11effects a contracting wedging engagement with the segmental grippingring 61 to force the segments of the latter radially inwardly into tightgripping engagement with the caisson 27, while upward movement of thering 60, as shown on the left of the caisson, serves to retract theseparate segments of the ring 61 from such engagement. Vertical movementof the ring 60 may be effected by a plurality ofcircumferentially-spaced, double acting fluid pressure cylinders 57,each having the end of its cylinder pivotally connected, as at 65, to abracket 64 fixed to the wing section 16 and its piston rod 58 pivotallyconnected to the pivotal connection of a pair of toggle links 59 and 62.The other end of each link 59 is pivotally connected to the ring 60while the other end of each link 62 is pivotally connected to a bracketfixed to the wing section 16.

In addition to the aforedescribed hinges, each wing section 16 isfixedly interlocked with the barge 15, in both the raised and loweredpositions, by interlocking means carried by the adjacent sides of thebarge and the wing section. These interlocking means include an upperlug member 32 fixed to the side of the barge 15 adjacent its upper edgeand a lower lug member 33 fixed to the side of the barge slightly aboveits lower edge. Similarly, the adjacent face of the wing section 16 isprovided with an upper lug member 34- adapted to coact with the lugmember 32 on the barge and a lower lug member 35 adapted to enact withthe lower lug member 33 on the barge. All of these lug members extendsubstantially the full length of the barge, but are interrupted alongtheir lengths to accommodate the hinges 17, 18. As best shown in Figure14, the outer face of each lug member 32 is provided with alongitudinally extending groove 36 while a similar groove 37 is providedin the undersurface of the lug 32. The corresponding upper wing sectionlug 34 is provided with laterally and vertically spaced ribs 38 and 39adapted to engage within the grooves 36 and 37, respectively, as will behereinafter explained. The barge lug 33 is provided with a downwardlyextending longitudinal rib 40 while the corresponding wing section lug35 is provided with an upwardly extending longitudinal rib 41 (Figures 4and 5). As is best shown in Figures 13 to 15, the grooves 36 and 37 areinterrupted along their lengths by transverse webs 4-2 and 42',respectively, and the ribs 38 and 39 by notches 43 and 43',respectively. These notches and ribs are adapted for interfittingengagement, as will be later explained, to prevent longitudinal relativemovement between each Wing section 16 and the barge 15, when thesections 16 are in their raised or in their lowered positions.Preferably, the noses of the ribs 38 and 39 and the bottoms of thegrooves 36 and 37 are rounded to facilitate reception of the ribs intheir corresponding grooves.

The jacking mechanism 30, the gripping device cylinders 57, and the rams22 may be supplied with fluid under pressure by an air compressor 44(Figure 1) disposed within the barge 15 and having a pressure reservoiror tank 45 which is connected via a pipe 46 to supply pipes 67 thatextend along each longitudinal side of the barge. Within the barge andadjacent each jack 30 the supply pipes 67 communicate with a manifold 47having flexible branch conduits 48, 49, and 50 communicating,respectively, with the lower gripper elements 54, the bellows 55, andthe upper gripper elements 52 of the corresponding jack 30. The conduits48, 49, and 50 may be controlled by corresponding manually operatedvalves 53. The manifold 47 also is provided with a branch conduit 51leading to a control valve 56 which is connected to the cylinders 57 byflexible supply and exhaust conduits 55. Although individual control ofeach jack mechanism 30 and its corresponding gripping device can beeffected by the valves 53 and 56, it is preferred that all of the jackmechanisms 30, the gripping devices, and the rams 22 also becontrollable in unison, as from a master control panel 66 (Figures 1 and2) that is positioned on the deck of the barge 15 and is connected viaappropriate conduits to all of these power operated devices. Access tothe interior of the barge may be had through hatches provided withconventional hatch covers 68.

The deck of the barge, adjacent each pocket 28 in a wing section 16, isprovided with a recess 70 having a cover 71 hinged to the deck, as at 72(Figure 16). Secured to the underside of the cover 71 are spaced lugs 73rotatably mounting the trunnions 74 of a concave roller 75. When thecover is open, as shown in Figure 16, the roller 75 is positioned toreceive and support the end of a caisson 27, when the latter is in itshorizontal or stowed position as best shown in Figure 3. When the covers71 are closed, it will be seen that the rollers 75 are stowed below thedeck so that the latter has a smooth uninterrupted working surface.Obviously, a series of such rollers 75 can be provided for each caisson27, if necessary.

When the entire assembly is to be floated to an erection site, a caisson27 is insefted into each guide well 26 and the wing sections 16 aremoved by the rams 22 to their raised positions, best shown in Figure 3,wherein the caissons 27 are horizontal. In this position, it will beseen that the upper end of each caisson 27 is received in a guidingpocket 28 in the opposite wing section 16, and that the caisson may beguided into such pocket, and have its upper end partially supported, bythe corresponding roller 75. In this position of the Wing sections 16,the ribs 38 are received within the grooves 36 and the webs 42 in thenotches 43 and thereby firmly lock each wing section 16 against bothvertical and longitudinal translational movement relative to the barge15 independently of the hinge connections. Therefore, each wing section16 l is etfectivelyinterlocked with the adjacent side edge of the barge15 so that these two parts in effect form a girder extending the fulllength of the barge to strongly resist any bending moments impartedthereto by pitching of the barge while under tow. With the strength ofthe barge thus increased, the actual material requirements of the bargeitself can be reduced with resultant economies in manufacture. It alsowill be seen that because both ends of each caisson 27 are receivedwithin openings in opposite wing sections 16, the latter in effect aresupported by the caissons and fixedly held against pivoting about theirhinge connections 17, 18, while the-caissons themselves are held againstmovement so that no lashings therefor are required.

It further will be seen that the raised wing sections 16 serve as guardsto protect the deck of the barge from waves-tothereby minimize any waterdamage to any machinery, equipment, or supplies stowed on the deck ofthe b'arge-during tow. Furthermore, because the effective working areaof the deck of the barge 15 is increased by the wing sections 16, whenthe platform is erected as later described, the width of the barge 15can be rnade smaller-than that of a comparable barge as; disclosed inthe aforementioned Pointer application. Consequently, because of itsreduced width, the barge has less towage resistance. Preferably, thelength of each caiss'on27 does not exceed the width of the barge plustwice the depth of a wing section 16, so that the caissons do notproject outwardly beyond the wing sections 16 when the latter are in theraised position shown in Figure 3. It also will be seen that the entireplatform assembly, when under tow, has a relatively low center ofgravity without any increase in towage resistance which would beeffected by the extension of caissons therebelow.

Upon reaching an erection site, each caisson 27 is Withdrawn from itspocket 28 by operation of its corresponding jack mechanism 30. Suchmovement is continued until the caissons 27 project from the lower endsof the guiding wells 26 in each wing section 16 a distance sufficient toslightly overbalance the wing section on its connecting hinges 17, 18,and urge the section to pivot to its lowered position. At this time, therams 22 are operated to control such pivotal movement and allow the wingsections 16 to move slowly from their raised to their lowered positions,an intermediate position being shown in Figure 4. On the initiation ofthis pivotal movement, it will be seen that the rounded configuration ofthe ribs 38 and the grooves 36 facilitates their disengagement. When thewing sections 16 are fully lowered, as shown in Figure and pulled intosuch position by the rams 22, the lugs 32, 33, 34, and 35 serve as stopsso that the caissons 27 are substantially vertical, while the entireweight of the wing sections 16 and the caissons 27 is borne by the hingeconnections 17, 18. In this position of the parts the ribs 39 are spacedbelow and in vertical alignment with the grooves 37, while the ribs 41are spaced below but laterally inwardly of the ribs 40.

At this time, the jack mechanisms 30 may be operated to release thecaissons 27 and allow the latter to drop free into upright engagementwith the marine bottom. Thereupon, the jacking mechanisms are operatedto raise the wing sections 16 on the caissons 27 and upwardly relativeto the barge 15, thus causing the ribs 39 to engage in the grooves 37,the webs 42' in the notches 43', and the ribs 41 to engage behind theribs 40, as shown in Fig. 6. Such upward translational movement of eachwing section 16 relative to the barge 15 is permitted by the slots 19 inthe hinge element 18. This interengagement of the various interlockinglugs serves to firmly interlock each wing 16 with the barge 15 into arigid, substantially unitary structure capable of resisting wind andwave action thereon. At the same time, such interlocking engagementbetween the wing sections 16 and the barge 15 provides a strongconnection therebetween that will permit the heavy barge 15 and all ofthe equipment andsupplies carried thereon to be raised out of the wateron the caissons 27 by appropriate operation of the jacking mechanisms30, as shown in Figures 2 and 6. In this connection, it also will beseen that the interlocking engagement of the various lugs 32 to 35relieves the hinges connecting the wing sections 16 with the barge 15from any strain that otherwise would be imposed thereon, were itattempted to lift the barge 15 through such hinges.

If the platform is to be maintained in its erected posi tion for anyextended period of time, the gripping devices 60, 61 are engaged withthe caissons 27 to support the Wing sections 16 and the barge 15 on thecaissons through such devices so that the gripping elements 52 and 54 ofthe jacking mechanisms can be deflated and the com pressor 4'4 turnedofl. In this connection and as pointed outin the aforementionedSuderow'application, the gripping devices are self-energizing so thatonce the weight of the platform is supported thereby, the cylinders 57need no longer be maintained under pressure.

When it is desired to move the platform to another erection site, thejacking mechanisms 30 are again engaged with their correspondingcaissons 27 and the grippingdevices, if engaged, are released.Thereupon, the

' jacking mechanisms 30 are operated to lower the entire platform, i.e.,the wing sections 16 and barge-15, back down intothe water until it isafloat. The jacking mechanisms 30 are then operated to raise all of thecaissons 27 out of ,theirengagement with the marine bottom.

-' This added weight imposed on the tWo sections 16 will serve to lowerthem relative to the barge 15 into the position shown in Figure 5, sothat the interlocking engagement between the wing sections 16 and thebarge 15 is disengaged. Thereupon, the caissons are continued to beelevated into a position wherein the wing sections 16 can becontrollably pivoted to their raised positions by the rams 22 withoutany extensive overbalancing of the wing sections 16 by their caissons27. After the wing sections have been swung to their raised positions,shown in Figure 3, the caissons are jacked across the deck of the barge15 and inserted into the pockets 28 in the opposite Wing sections 16. Aspreviously stated, it willbe seen that additional rollers 75 may beprovided along the length of each caisson 27 to support the latter andfacilitate such movement of the caissons 27 into the pockets 28.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fullyand effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that theforegoing specific embodiment has been shown and described only for thepurpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and is subjectto extensive change without departure from such principles. Therefore,this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spiritand scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A portable marine platform comprising: a platformlike body; wingsections pivotally connected to opposite sides of said body for swingingmovement about horizontal axes through substantially degrees betweenraised and lowered positions; a plurality of marinebottom-engageablesupporting legs mounted to each of said wing sections for swingingmovement therewith between substantially horizontal and uprightpositions corresponding to said raised and lowered section positions andfor longitudinal movement relative to the corresponding section; andpower-operated means mounted on said sections for selectively effectingor restraining said relative movement of each of said legs in eitherdirection, whereby when said sections are in said raised positions, saidlegs can be moved to position a major portion of their lengthshorizontally across said body, and when said sections are in saidlowered positions, said legs can be moved down into vertical engagementwith a marine bottom 5? and said body raised and at least partiallysupported on said legs.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 including poweroperated meansconnected to the body and to each of the wing sections for controllingthe swinging movement of the latter.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 including retaining means on each ofthe sections engageable with an end of the legs mounted on the oppositesection, when both of the latter are in their raised positions, torestrain movement of each of said ends transversely of the length of thecorresponding leg.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 including rigid interlocking meanson the body and on each section engageable in the lowered position ofthe latter to lock said section against any movement relative to saidbody except downward translation.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 including rigid interlocking meanson the body and and on each section engageable in the raised position ofthe latter to lock said section to said body against vertical relativetranslation therebetween.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 including floating pivotalconnections for connecting each section to the body and allowing alimited range of vertical translational movement of each section, whenin its lowered position, relative to said body, and interlocking meanson the opposed sides of said body and each lowered section that areinterengageable on upward translational movement of each of the latterrelative to said body to restrain 3 any relative movement therebetweenexcept downward translational movement of each section relative to saidbody.

7. The structure defined in claim 1 including pockets in each of thesections opposed to the legs of the opposite section, when said sectionsare in their raised position, for receiving an end of the legs when saidlegs are in their horizontal positions and restraining such ends againsttransverse movements.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 including rollers on the body forsupporting a section of each leg, when the latter is in its horizontalposition, and aligning the leg with its corresponding pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS103,899 Lewis June 7, 1870 720,997 Becker Feb. 17, 1903 2,237,387 Criteset al Apr. 8, 1941 2,308,743 Bulkley et al Jan. 19, 1943 2,398,351 BakerApr. 16, 1946 2,525,955 Scott Oct. 17, 1950 2,598,329 Wilson May 27,1952 2,600,761 Halliburton June 17, 1952 2,602,636 Travers July 8, 19522,658,353 Trexel Nov. 10, 1953 2,775,869 Pointer Jan. 1, 1957 FOREIGNPATENTS 600,129 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1948

